A Woman in Man's Clothes
by The Bookkeeper333
Summary: Detective Aoife OReilly migrated to America when she was child, disguised herself as a man, served in the Union army during the civil war then became a police officer. She saved money all her life so that she could take a holiday back to Ireland and visit England. What happens when she meets Inspector Reid and the boys? Find out! OcXReid, rated M For language and other themes.
1. Chapter 1

I wandered about the streets of Whitechapel. They were just as dirty, crowded and disease ridden as Five Points, except the Irish werent as prominent around these parts of London. I walked the streets the Ripper did, which for a woman was a dangerous thing, but a woman disguised as a man, the feat was less daring. I sat down at a pub called the Brown Bear and ordered a whiskey. I was surrounded by coppers. It was nice to be back in the homeland, away from the civil war that was tearing my new country apart.

"Dont you think it's a little bit early in the day for a drink as strong as yours?" I looked over at a man, he had an American accent.

"No' at all boy-o." I said, I raised my glass at him and said "Slainte." Before downing it. He frowned and moved closer.

"You're a woman." He said, his voice dropping. I smiled.

"Aye."

"And Irish? You've got nerves coming here." He said.

"Technically Im an American, like yerself." I said. "Detective Aoife O'Reilly, from Five Points at yer service." I smiled.

"Captain Jackson." I nodded and paid for my whiskey.

"Pleasure Captain." I said. He stood with me.

"What brings you across the pond?" He asked. I laughed.

"Two things, I needed a slight reprieve from the war back home, and the Ripper, Captain Jackson." I adjusted my hat over my tightly braided red hair.

"The Ripper?" He asked. I nodded.

"Aye, The Ripper." I said. He pushed open and held the door for me. "Corky thinks I've los' me marbles, bu' then again mos' o' the boys on the force think I have. Being a woman, and a copper. Bu' there are no rules agains' tha', an' they can' fire one of their bes'." I said.

"Jackson! The inspector needs you." An taller man with a neatly trimmed beard said, jogging up to us on the street. He nodded to me. "Sir." Then he turned to Jackson. "Now," He said.

"Drake, show a little respect for the lady." Jackson interrupted, Drake made a face, then looked at me. His jaw dropped.

"My apologies miss, I thought you were a," He was looking for a way to not offend me.

"Drake is it?" I asked, he nodded. "Don' ge' yer knickers in a knot. If I wan'ed ta be seen as a lady I would be wearin' a corse' an' a bustle." The man frowned.

"She's a detective out of Five Points."Jackson said. Drake still looked bewildered.

"Another yankee? Jesus, leave it to you to find the only other American in the city." Drake said.

"Well, if it pu's yer mind ta ease, Im born Irish." I said. Drake frowned.

"No, not really. Anyway Jackson. You need to come with me, the Inspector needs you."

"Good day gentlemen." I said.

"Wait, perhaps you would have insights that would be greatly appreciated."Jackson said. I smiled.

"Thats verra kind o' ye, Captain, bu' Im a wee bi' ou' of me jurisdiction." I looked between the two men.

"Miss, it's quite alright, I have a feeling your insights, if you have any, would be much appreciated." Drake said. I nodded.

"Verra well then Mr. Drake, lead the way." I said. I never got a bloody day off, but the chance to work on the Ripper's case I would never pass up. I followed the two men, literally right next door to the precinct.

"About damn time!" the Inspector said. Then he saw me. "Who is this?" He demanded. I smiled and stepped in between the two men.

"Detective O'Reilly from Five Points, Sir." I said extending my hand. "Anythin' I can do ta help. I am at yer service." He eyed me. I removed my hat and his eyes widened.

"You're a woman."He said. I smiled.

"Thank ye Inspector, I was beginning ta wonder if I was a woman or a man." I laughed. There were a few uneasy chuckles. He cleared his throat. "Need I prove me use as a detective sir?" I turned and pointed at Drake.

"You. Ye were a soldier. Fought in Egypt perhaps, astonishingly, unlike our Captain here, ye have no drinking, gamblin' or any other bad habits aside from yer taste fer violence." I turned and gestured to Jackson. "Ye on the other hand, without seeing a lick of real combat, though ye do like gunslingin', a surgeon would be my guess. An' ye worked with the Pinkertons aye? Ye have a drinkin', gamblin' an' a whorin' problem an' ye have far too many secrets fer half the people in yer life ta trust ye. Except fer one. One, perhaps a woman." I watched his reaction, he shifted uncomfortably. "Aye a woman shares mos' o' yer bloody secrets an' I do believe I mean tha' they are truly bloody, bu' I may be wrong there." I turned again. "You Inspector, have never served in the military, bu' ye've been wounded. Mos' likely a burn by the way ye hold yer shoulder. Yer wife, there's marital issues, an' ye remain faithful, bu' even so ye spend a good majority of yer time here, ye sleep on the day bed in yer office, yer obsessive an' compulsive, bu' tha's why yer one o' the bes'. I am surprised ye haven'caught the Ripper ye' with the way ye sink yer teeth inta a case an' won' let go until it's finished." I put my hands on my hips as we stood in their shocked silence.

"Impressive Detective." The Inspector said. "But what can you tell us of this body?" He asked uncovering it. I smiled and pulled off my hat, then my jacket. I studied the body closely. I looked at every inch.

"Poisoned. Abou' 40, wealthy and lived an easy life, definitely no' from Whitechapel. Probably a banker or somethin' ta do with finance. Where are his belongings?" I asked. The Inspector handed me his things. I found gambling stubs to various things, boxing, dog fights, the works. "Ye migh' wan' ta question the wife abou' his gamblein'. She may have grown weary of him spending their money so recklessly." I said. The three looked at each other.  
"Well done, the wife confessed early this morning." The Inspector said. I smiled.

"Ye knew I was in town. The lo' o' ye knew who I am. Yer smart Inspector, don' le' it mess with yer head." I said. The Inspector smiled,

"Edmund Reid." He said, extending his hand.

"Aoife O'Reilly." I said, shaking it.

"I had heard that you were taking a holiday, I was shocked to learn it was to England." He said as we left the laboratory.

" I miss the Emerald Isle, I've jus' lef' Belfas'. I should be goin' back to America within the month." I told him. We all sat down in his office.

"So soon?" Drake commented. I smiled.

"Aye, so soon. I have duties back in Five Points." There was a general nod of understanding. I looked behind Reid and saw a chalkboard, with the Ripper's victims. I stood, favoring my right side a little, it felt stiff which bothered me because of how early it was. Must be the slightly cooler air here.

"This is wha' ye have on the Ripper?" I asked. Everyone watched me.

"Yes. It's not much." The Inspector said. I skimmed through everything.

"Ye believe he's no' a man with a medicinal background?" I asked reading his notes, his theory was different than those published in the newspapers.

"The wounds indicate that the knife used was dull. It appears to me that the cutting of his victims is a crime of passion almost." He said. I nodded.

"Interestin' theory Inspector." I mumbled.  
"Whats your theory then?" Jackson said.

"The women are all prostitutes?" I asked, looking at the room of men. They nodded. I looked carefully at the photographs. " You're killer may very well be a self righteous man." I said.

"How do you gather that?" Drake asked. I turned and looked at them.

"Each of these women are prostitutes. Selling themselves for men's pleasure. Wha' organization would ye say is agains' such an act? Pre-marital sexual intercourse? The Church. It does na matter if yer Catholic, Baptis', or Jewish, every branch o' the church condemns these acts as a sin. Yer man may be tryin' ta righ' wrongs and send a message." I theorized.

"Truly? I had never thought about that angle." Reid said.

"An interesting theory." Drake agreed.

"A self righteous man who would rid the world of sin." Jackson said.

"Whitechapel is a killing ground for him then." Reid said.

"But if he were truly self righteous, wouldnt we have other sinners in our dead room as well?" Drake said. I nodded.

"We could, bu' he may find tha' women sellin' themselves in the manner of a prostitute to be mos' foul. An' should be gotten rid of first."

"I think you made a small break in the case Ms. O'Reilly." Reid said with a small smile.

"Glad I could be of help Sir." I said, I looked up, out the window that lead to the main precinct to see a commotion. I frowned. As the gentlemen in the room noticed, a young man in a coppers blue uniform burst through the door.

"Inspector, we'll need you for this one." He said breathlessly. Everyone jumped up.  
"I am sorry Ms. O'Reilly, but you must excuse us." Reid said as he pulled his hat on his head. I smiled. And pulled the card for my hotel out of my waistcoat pocket.

"Should ye have need of me again Inspector." He nodded and was off. I walked myself back to my hotel, thinking on the Ripper's case. I turned it over and over. Clearly, the Ripper had notion of dissection and anatomy, but is not a surgeon or doctor. A surgeon would never let his tools become blunted. A medical school dropout, perhaps. I wrote down the theory. I opened a bottle of whiskey, humming quietly. Then I stopped, frozen dead in my tracks. That could be it! I wrote it down immediately. How could I have not thought of that before? I smiled as I pulled off my shoes and pants, I lifted my shirt and removed my chest bindings. I pulled on a sleeping shirt and went to bed.


	2. Chapter 2

I woke to a sharp rapping on my door. I rolled out of my bed, pulled on yesterdays trousers and opened the door. I squinted at the tall form of Inspector Reid.

"Inspector Reid. It is quite an hour ye've chosen ta visit me at." I said.

"There's been another." He said. Suddenly, the sleep that clouded my brain was gone.

"The Ripper strikes again?" I asked. He nodded.

"It would appear that way." He said grimmly.

"One momen'." I pulled my hair into a bun, pulled my waist coat on, then my jacket, and a scarf. I found one of my hats and pulled on my shoes. I grabbed a knife and my brass knuckles. Tucking them into my pockets. Then left with Reid.

"Jus' like the others?" I asked.

"We're not seeing the disembowelment with this woman as we did the others." He informed me. I had to jog a little to keep up with his long stride.

"Perhaps he was interrupted." I said.

"We believe that as well." He said as we turned the corner and fought our way through a crowd. We came up into the small alley, and there she was.

"The poor burd." I muttered looking on the corpse. I saw that her throat had been slashed, but there wasnt enough blood. Her face was cut and marked as the others, but this wasnt the Ripper's work. I stood back as he ordered the photographer on what he needed photographed.

"Have ye considered tha' it is no' a man tha' is our killer?" I asked Reid laughed.

"A woman committing such heinous crimes? That is the most absurd thing you've said yet Detective." He said. I ground my jaw.

"Inspector, consider it, for ye have no idea of wha' lengths a woman will go to ta send a message, or put her mind at ease. Think abou' it. How many men think as ye do? A woman can walk the streets of Whitechapel an' all of London without seeming suspicious. If I were the Ripper, I would befriend these women, I would ge' them ta trus' me, then when we were alone, I would kill them and begin my ye were ta wear dark colors, with the cover o' nigh', no one would be the wiser tha' yer clothes are spattered with blood." I said. He looked at me with a strange look.

"And you would say that a woman could have the mind to do this and sleep at night?" He asked. I smiled.

"While I have no' killed like this Inspector, I can attest the violence of a woman." I said. Inspector Reid frowned, but nodded.

"We shall keep it under consideration." He told me, and then picked up the poor woman, and carried her out of the alley. I helped fight of the crowd as he loaded the body in the cab. He gave swift, and quiet instructions to the driver and let them be on their way. I walked with him and Mr. Drake.

"You speak of the horrors that a woman could commit, how do you know this?" Reid asked. I gave a small smile.

"Inspector Reid,Five Points is no' much differen' than Whitechapel, save for the violence in nearly ten fold, and far more open. Coppers such as us, can no' walk the streets alone fer fear o' a mob attackin' us." I paused, grinding my jaw against the flash of pain in my leg, and side." I know the horrors a woman can commit because I have seen it time an' time again. No' only this, bu' I have committed acts of which I am no' proud of." Drake peered at me, his eyes narrowed.

"Now, gentlemen. If you'll excuse me." I said. The two tipped their hats at me and I turned down the streets that would take me to my hotel. By the time I reached my room, the pain was blinding, I stumbled into my room and to the dressing the table. My leg cramped up and I fell.

"Bollocks." I cursed, leave it to me to forget something as important as medications in the light of a murder.I pulled my jacket off, and found the bottle of opium. It would kill the pain, and allow me to apply the salve that let my burn scars stretch and act as normal skin. I pulled off my shirt, and bound my chest since my door was open. I massaged the salve on the scar that covered most of my right side, shoulder, arm,and leg.

"Ms. O'Reilly." My head snapped around, and I saw Drake standing in my door.

"Mr. Drake." I said, startled. He frowned. I found a dressing robe and pulled it on, and tied it shut.

"What happened to you miss?" He asked, clearly horrified. I smiled.

"Well, originally, a bullet just above my knee. The surgeons left the bullet in as it wasnt causing any more damage and it would be more damagin' ta remove it. And all was well, I joined the police force, Corcoran and I were on the way to a murder scene when the murderer saw us. And attacked, and as I said earlier, Five Points is a violen' place. Some o' the people joined in. There was a fire, I don' remember much, I was hit on the head, I jus' remember oil bein' thrown on me then set a ligh'. With ou' Corky, I would be dead." I said quietly. Drake frowned, and looked at my neck, where the burn ended.

"It would seem you were lucky." He said. I nodded.

"My face was spared only because I managed to get my arm up, and keep the oil off my face. Mr. Drake, as Corcoran an' the other lads learned when I healed, my wounds do no' affect the way I perform as a Detective." He nodded.

"The Inspector took notice of your quick departure, and is inquiring after you." He said. I nodded.

"Tha' is verra kind. If you'll give me a momen', I should like ta rejoin ye."

"Of course ma'am." He turned to leave the room.

"Drake, don' ever call me ma'am again." I said lightly. He smiled and nodded.

"Very well Aoife." He said, closing the door. I pulled on clean clothes. I buttoned each button and tucked a small container of the salve into the inside pocket of my jacket. I braided my hair and tucked it under a hat, and left. Mr. Drake was waiting in the lobby of the hotel for me. We set out to the precinct. Without a single word to each other. The soldier held the door for me and we entered the busy precinct. We went to the cells where Reid had "booked" the poor woman. Jackson was working the two of them shooting ideas at each other. Reid paused as he heard us arrive.

"Ms. O'Reilly, I hope all is well." He said. I smiled.

"My apologies for my quick departure Inspector, bu' I found tha' I had lef' me brass knuckles in my room. I don' feel quite righ' with ou' them." I said, patting my pocket. Reid frowned and looked to Drake who shrugged. It was a slim chance Reid believed me, he may have seen me grab them.

"Have ye found anythin'?" I asked. Reid looked at me, then back to the body.

"What do you see Detective?" He asked. I looked at her.

"She's no' disemboweled. " I looked closer. "The bruisin' here, she was strangled." I said pointing at the bruises on her neck, it looked like a collar of some sort. " This is a copycat Inspector, this is no' the Ripper's work, used ta cover an acciden' perhaps." I said decidedly. Jackson nodded, and concurred. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as the opium began to wear off.

"Detective, are you feeling well?" Drake asked. I opened my eyes and the world spun, I forced a smile.

"Im fine Mr. Drake, thank ye." I said. Reid was watching me closely. I needed to sit down and give myself a break.  
"You've gone white as a sheet Detective, are you well?" Reid asked. I had been up and about far too long, and my body was protesting.

" Inspector, have ye need of me fer verra much longer? I have an appointment later on today, and I should ge' cleaned up."

"No, we can find you if something else arises." Reid said. I nodded.

"Good day gentlemen." I said softly, before turning and making my way out of the precinct. I stepped out into the cool, foggy morning. London was still quiet, well, as quiet as any city could ever get. Every movement was effort, as if I were trying to run through honey, even so, I made it down the street before I stopped and leaned against a building to catch my breath and close my eyes. I was unsteady. I understood why it was easy to become a slave to opium, if you were always high on it, you never had to go through this half of the drug. Thinking it was just my dose wearing off.

"Detective O'Reilly!"I opened my eyes, and looked down the street to see Reid jogging towards me. I took my hand out of my pocket, at the sound of someone calling me and running, my hand had instantly, and instinctively curled around my brass knuckles. I stood straight and forced a smile.

"Inspector Reid." I said.

"You seem unwell, allow me to walk you to your hotel." he said, putting his hands out as I swayed. My chest bindings were too tight. I was having a hard time breathing, it was as if I were in a waist cinching corset.

"Inspector Reid, I assure ye tha' I am well enough." I said. The opium had never caused this effect. I paused, was it possible that someone had drugged me? I swallowed. " I need ta ge' ta the hotel immediately." I said, starting in the direction. I felt my leg stop working and I saw the cobblestones rushing to meet me. I fell to my hands and knees.

"Bugger." I cursed. My ears were ringing and my head was little movement was agony as if I were lifting the world's heaviest weights with each muscle.

"Detective!" I looked up and saw Reid helping me up, but it was as if I had little to no control over my body. "You need a doctor." He said.

"No...hotel...now...please Inspector." I managed. He looked worried but obliged. I handed him the key to my room as we made it through the foyer and half way to my floor, before he picked me up and carried me the rest of the way. He pushed open my door and set me down in a chair. I pointed at the vile and he brought it to me. I held it up to the dim morning light, I could detect nothing wrong with it.

"Detective, what is going on? I insist that you seek medical attention."

"Can Jackson tell me wha' is in this?" I asked, regaining some of my motor skills. My head was still spinning though.

"Im sure he could, why?" He asked. I grabbed a glass of water and drank deeply, my head cleared. I hadnt taken a big enough dose to disable so the paralysis was gripping me.

"Because Inspector, I feel someone has drugged me, it may even be an attempt on my life." I said.

"What is this supposed to be?" He asked.

"Opium." I said, noticing his frown. I pulled off my jacket and waist coat, then rolled up my sleeves. I noticed that my limbs werent moving quite the way they should, awkward and stiff rather than easily.

"Why?" His question was stopped when he saw my arm. "I see, I'll have him analyze it. Are you sure you're alright?" He said. I nodded.

"Aye, I didnt take my normal dose, I'll be fine." I replied.

"I dont want to leave you here alone." He said. "You should be kept under observation." He added. I moved my joints, sighing inwardly to find that the effects of the drug were wearing off, and I was finding it easier to breath.

"Wha' ever is in there aside from opium is some sort of toxin tha' paralyzes. " I told him. " I can' believe the bastard!" I cursed. I had a fairly good idea of who did it.

"You know who would have poisoned you?" Reid asked.

"Many people would poison me Inspector, only one has the chance ta actually poison me, an' I though' him a friend." I said. Morehouse never liked me, believing firmly that I should be doing womanly things rather than mucking about the streets of Five Points in men's clothes with a badge pinned to my jacket.

"I think Edmund is more appropriate for now." He said."Is this someone back in Five Points?" The Inspector asked.

"More like Manhattan. A friend o' Corky's, we all served in the same regimen' before I was wounded an' sent home at the same time as he. Robert respected me enough until he learned tha' I was a woman rather than a man. When Corky an' Doc. Freeman came home everyone was happy ta be tagether again except Mr. Morehouse made it clear he did na wan' my company. Then I accidentally insulted his wife, an' so on." I said, rubbing my burn scars on my shoulder.

"How would he have been able to add something to your prescribed medication?" I smiled.

"In Five Points, anyone with money can do anythin'. He mos' likely paid the pharmacist off." I said." I need ta get a message ta Corky." I muttered, it would be pointless though. It would take months I would probably arrive before the letter. And even if by some chance it arrived before me, it would do nothing but cause trouble.

"Try not to move, Im sending for Jackson." Edmund said, he disappeared for what felt like an eternity. An eternity in which the ghosts of the battle fields came to me and tormented my mind.


End file.
